How well can chickens handle heat?

How well do chickens handle heat? I am asking because it’s getting warmer and warmer in my area as each day goes by. I want to make sure it’s cool enough inside the coop.

I usually don't have to worry about excessive heat where I live. Ventilation is key to just about everything. To keep the coop cooler, have a vent(s) open low to the floor and another vent(s) up high. This should naturally create a current where the cool air comes in the lower vent and hot air escapes from the vents above.

If outside, make sure they have some shade to sit under to keep cool. I have seen some people in hot climates put up shade cloth over their coop. I obviously don't have any need for that where I live.
 
I usually don't have to worry about excessive heat where I live. Ventilation is key to just about everything. To keep the coop cooler, have a vent(s) open low to the floor and another vent(s) up high. This should naturally create a current where the cool air comes in the lower vent and hot air escapes from the vents above.

If outside, make sure they have some shade to sit under to keep cool. I have seen some people in hot climates put up shade cloth over their coop. I obviously don't have any need for that where I live.
I removed some boards covering the windows in the coop last week so that should help. There’s plenty of shade and water in the coop and outside. Lots of trees with shade and I fill the water bowl up frequently so hopefully that’s enough. It’s still spring and I bet it’s going to get even hotter as the weeks go by, I’ll have to see what else I can do about the heat.
 
I removed some boards covering the windows in the coop last week so that should help. There’s plenty of shade and water in the coop and outside. Lots of trees with shade and I fill the water bowl up frequently so hopefully that’s enough. It’s still spring and I bet it’s going to get even hotter as the weeks go by, I’ll have to see what else I can do about the heat.

I don't think I would worry too much about chickens in the heat. Dear Wife is from the Philippines, in the hot tropics, and her mother had chickens there outside their house. They did not have any special way to cool off the chickens and the chickens did just fine. I suppose some breeds handle heat better than others, but, in general, chickens can regulate their body heat pretty well.
 
I see. Are there any other signs a chicken may be hot other than panting?
Panting is the first sign, holding wings away from body is the next.
Lethargy is what I look for, toss a few treats and the birds that don't go for them deem watching. Almost lost a bird from heat stroke, she was staggering and lost sight in one eye, saved her with Electrolytes. Now I give them regularly.

aart's Extreme Weather spiel

aart's Extreme Weather spiel

Hot Weather.... My birds are confined with no great deep shade for last half of the day so I have to be vigilant during heat waves. I do have shade cloths up on run, which helps, but still not deep shade. To help cool down the coop I have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady...
 
To help cool down the coop I have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady...

I was hesitant to mention the use of a box fan. I know some people use them and don't have a problem. But there are also numerous reports of those inexpensive house box fans being used to vent out chicken coops, the fan motor gets clogged with chicken dust over time, the motor overheats and catches fire, and then you potentially lose everything. Just hope your coop is not close to the garage or house in that event.

@Iamthechickenperson, If you decide to go the fan method, I would encourage you to invest in a barn fan made for ventilating dusty air. I checked into those barn fans a couple years ago and they started at about $100.00. That is obviously much more than a $20 box fan made for the house, but the barn fan motors are sealed to prevent dust build up and therefore will last many years longer than a typical house box fan. Since chicken dust cannot get into the motor windings and lock up the fan, they prevent fires. For me, barn fans just prevent the possibility of a fire, which is cheap insurance if you think about it.

But, as I said, I live in northern Minnesota and don't have excessive heat issues. I have never had reason to add a fan. I imagine any box fan would be OK for a short period of time, but not safe as a long term installation. Maybe I'm just over cautious, but I have always been willing to pay extra for an item that I thought was safer for me or my family.

Here is an article that may be of interest to you:

The Best Way To Add Ventilation To A Chicken Coop

 
I was hesitant to mention the use of a box fan. I know some people use them and don't have a problem. But there are also numerous reports of those inexpensive house box fans being used to vent out chicken coops, the fan motor gets clogged with chicken dust over time, the motor overheats and catches fire, and then you potentially lose everything. Just hope your coop is not close to the garage or house in that event.
Maybe you should have copied the whole paragraph. ;)
"To help cool down the coop I have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady most the day, and turn it on late afternoon...blows cooler air into coop and pushes hot air out."
 
Maybe you should have copied the whole paragraph. ;)
"To help cool down the coop I have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady most the day, and turn it on late afternoon...blows cooler air into coop and pushes hot air out."
I just read the post as displayed on the screen. I did not see that you had included a link to a longer explanation. Blowing cool air into the coop would certainly make the fan last longer than sucking and venting out the hot air, which would clog up an open fan motor faster.

I like the barn vent fans that have a built in thermostat to turn on when the temp reaches a certain temp and automatically shuts off when it falls below the preset temp. Something like the AC Infinity AIRLIFT T12, Shutter Exhaust Fan 12-inch with Temperature Humidity Controller - Wall Mount Ventilation and Cooling for Sheds, Attics, Workshops which is sold on Amazon.


fan.jpeg

But that fan/thermostat combo is around $160.00. Like I said, that would be an investment for the long term.
 
Well, that's a good reason not use to the 'insert article' function.
I have never used the 'insert article' function and I think this was perhaps the first time I have seen it used in any of the threads I have been following. If you hover the mouse over the title, you see the title change to a link. But I did not know that and only read what was on the screen.

More importantly, since you do use an ordinary house box fan, how often do you have to clean it out? If it works good for you, and is safe, that would certainly be a lot cheaper than buying a barn fan. Especially if you only need to use it occasionally.

:lau Where I live, we turned on the air conditioner for almost a full week last summer. Global warming I guess.... Chickens did OK though.
 

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